Story+1988-09-23+Oakland,+CA

”How you doing out there tonight ? (cheers)....that’s good.....when I....when I was a kid....I got a sense of so many things from rock and roll music.....got a sense of, uh....of life.....what living could be like....got a sense of, uh, fun....good times.....got a sense of possibility....got a sense of sex....yeah......but most of all I think.....from all those.....early records that inspired me I got a sense of freedom.....I think that the best of rock and roll.....always gave that....one transcendent moment of freedom.....even if it only lasted for three minutes....and uh.....I think that as I’ve got older, I’ve tried finding ways of stretching that moment.....from childhood to adulthood....and tonight.....we have an opportunity to do that....you have an opportunity to let the voice....of your hometown be heard all around the world....you got an opportunity to let.... to let the voice of freedom and decency.....simple human decency sound just a little bit louder.....and most of all, you got an opportunity to shake off that isolation that burdens us so much here in the United States and to join the world community.....’cause tonight you can use your freedom ....to help others win their freedom all around the world.....so...let’s rock and roll (chuckles)....take that stand, join Amnesty International.....and let freedom ring.....”
 * 23.09.88 Oakland, CA, intro to ‘My Hometown’**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//